Tarkan Biography - Turkey's (Beloved) Bad-Boy of Pop

Tarkan's singing career was really taking off in 1994 when he appeared on a live pop-music 'special' for the Turkish Radio and Television network. After he'd performed his then-latest hit single and was exiting 'stage left', the MC delayed him and asked him to say a few words for the camera.

To the dismay of his fan-legion who watched in disbelief, he turned carelessly camera-ward and uttered the now famous, "Çisim var, agbi..." ('I've gotta pee, man…') -- before scampering off-camera.

The conservative-Turkish audience reaction was swift -- and Tarkan's career sagged. But a year later, in a brilliant public-relations coup, he ditched his purely pop image and staged a one-man TV special in which he only sang revered Turkish 'Art' music classics -- to widespread critical and public acclaim.

Then, a couple of years later he angered Turkish conservatives again, this time more seriously. In favor of his hi-flying career, he refused to serve his compulsory 18-month Turkish army 'hitch' -- and skipped the country to Germany. For that act of defiance, he was officially stripped of Turkish citizenship in April 1999 -- and was publicly disgraced.

It didn't seem to trouble him for long, though. In fact, he rather quickly found a brand new audience and began performing in Europe, to wildly adoring fans there. His Euro-fans say his music is the perfect mixture of Western originality and Turkish romanticism. And they just love his "great, sexy voice, and fantastic dancing." Plus (say fans of both sexes) he is, "soooo good-looking." Why…he even received a prestigious 'Cannes Music Award' for his blockbuster hit, Simarik ('Spoiled'), with its image-evoking lyrics:

"She blows bubbles with her chewing-gum, and makes them snap brutally."

But his heart never left Turkey. And when a killer earthquake struck there so cruelly in August 1999, Tarkan was Johnny-on-the-spot with a six-figure USD cash donation to help suffering victims.

And then, in an interesting twist of fate, he was able to return to Turkey, legally. Because the Turkish government, which needed hard currency to help quake victims, decided to 'forgive' draft-dodgers (born before 1974) in exchange for $15,000 payments --

which just happened to fit Tarkan's case, perfectly…

Star Roots

Born Tarkan Tevetoglu to Turkish emigrant parents in 1972, Tarkan grew up in Germany. In 1986, he returned 'home' to Turkey to study music -- and by the time he was 16 he was a regular (albeit illegal) performer in Istanbul bars and clubs.

In 1993, he met Mehmet Sögütoglu (owner of Istanbul Plak, a prominent Turkish record company) who made him a star. His debut album Yine sensiz ('Without you again') sold 700,000 copies. His second album Acayipsin ('You're sensational!') sold more than 2,000,000 copies in Turkey and 700,000 copies in Europe -- a first-time-ever feat for a Turkish performer.

After his 'urinary' gaffe in 1994, Tarkan spent time in the USA where he met Ahmet Ertegün (the Turkish owner of Atlantic Records). Ertegün has been quietly grooming Tarkan for an American career, ever since.

In 1997, after a 3-year break, Tarkan released his third Turkish-language album -- and on the tour that followed, he filled the Hippodrome in London, the Bataclan in Paris, and the Arena in Berlin. When the album's single was released, it reached No. 3 in France -- and No.1 in Belgium and Germany.

Following Tarkan's latest Turkish-language album in the spring of 2000 -- there was supposed to be an English-language release too, but it's been delayed. Fans of Turkish pop music are drooling in anticipation.

Note: A version of the above article by Jim and Perihan Masters first appeared on the eStart website...